Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Transcription

1 Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County YOUTH DEVELOPMENT A unique, comprehensive approach that provides countless opportunities for positive youth development

2 Youth Development Today s Challenges 21st century youth are growing up at the speed of light delivered by any number of screens: oversized TV s, cell phones, computer monitors, video game players and the next generation of handheld devices that transmit unlimited digital information anytime, anywhere and instantaneously. Teens spend more than seven and a half hours a day - seven days a week - using media. This translates to more than 53 hours a week - essentially the equivalent of a full-time job. While technology has provided opportunities to connect, engage, learn and create, it has also presented a number of challenges for youth and those who care about them: SCREEN TIME is a factor in child and adolescent obesity. Not only is most screen time passive and sedentary, most food advertising is for high calorie, low nutrient foods and beverages. BULLYING has long been a problem for young people, but cyberbullying has taken meanness to a new level. Victims now face harassment online 24/7 and may not even know who is tormenting them. Bullying has been linked not only to bullicide but also to adolescent depression, school failure and retaliatory violence. DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE among youth is mostly unchanged in the past 50 years. What has changed is the access youth have to information on the Internet how to obtain and use drugs, purchase drug paraphernalia, and hide drugs from parents and teachers. CCE s comprehensive and unique youth development programs tackle these issues and more. Our programs are designed to help our youth help build self-esteem as well as strengthen their connection with our maritime and agricultural heritage. CCE educators work with parents and professionals to establish the building blocks to a strong, healthy family and give families the proper tools when they are dealing with issues such as bullying and electronics. CCE EMPOWERS YOUTH to reach their full potential through 4-H, Marine, Family Health & Wellness and Agricultural programs. LEARN BY DOING is evident across all program areas; youth participate in hands-on activities in partnership with caring adults. Experts in each field provide fun-filled, research based learning experiences; i.e. seining at a marine summer camp, collecting their harvest at the Children s Garden or helping care for farm animals. POSITIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCES begin with parent education classes that help build a family s confidence in raising happy, healthy youth. Learning opportunities for young people continue with summer camps, 4-H clubs, out of school time programs and more! CAREER OPPORTUNITIES become apparent as youth learn to enjoy science and technology. CCE S COUNTY WIDE PRESENCE reaches thousands of youth. No other Suffolk County agency has the capability to offer such a wide array of educational experiences. CCE BRINGS THE EXPERTISE of Cornell University to Suffolk County families and youth.

3 Core Youth Initiatives Positive Youth/Life Skill Development The positive youth development approach emphasizes understanding, educating, and engaging children in productive activities. Peconic Dunes 4-H Camp According to an independent study, Peconic Dunes overnight program benefits campers, 8-16 years-old in the following ways: (a) Children become more confident and experience increased self-esteem; (b) Children develop more social skills that help them make new friends; (c) Children grow more independent and show more leadership qualities; and (d) Children become more adventurous and willing to try new things. Teen Wilderness Trips The foundation of all Peconic Dunes Teen Wilderness Trips is to prepare teens to assume leadership roles in the lives through excellent teamwork, communication, and expedition behavior; live and travel in wilderness environments while applying the outdoor skills practiced on this program; connect with natural places that enrich their lives and foster strong environmental ethic; and apply effective decision-making tools to real world problems. Science, Engineering, & Technology (SET) A mere 5 percent of current US college graduates earn science, engineering, or technology degrees. CCE 4-H programs inspire career opportunities in these specialized fields for our youth. Ecology Camp Organon The New York State Dept of Environmental Conservation (DEC) supports Ecology Camp Organon (ECO) at Peconic Dunes 4-H Camp. Youth, ages 12 to 15, learn to use GPS/GIS, identify flora and fauna, test water quality, and more. The goal is to develop a comprehensive conservation plan for Peconic Dunes County Park. Our campers (and collegeaged staff) are gaining valuable experience practicing authentic field research that will get them a leg up in college and beyond. Ship to Shore CCE s Ship-to-Shore program, fully funded by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, provides 12 underserved Long Island school districts with fully funded field trips to the Oyster Bay Waterfront Center. Forty-eight students, grades 4-8, enjoy a day on Oyster Bay beachcombing, learning about local marine life, exploring the salt marsh, seining and taking a ride around the bay on the historic Oyster Sloop the Christeen.

4 Youth Community Action/Citizenship Core Youth Initiatives The ideals behind youth community action empower youth to share their ideas and make valuable contributions to their communities. Healthy Living CIT Programs At Peconic Dunes Camp, we believe that individuals grow significantly when they encounter and successfully surmount a range of challenges, master new skills, or engage in physically and interpersonally demanding activities. This belief is the basis for the Counselor in Training (CIT) program. These young people receive extensive training in CPR, emergency response and lifeguarding as well as general life skills that they then use for the benefit of our campers and the community at large. 4-H Public Presentations Leadership in local communities often falls to those individuals who are confident in speaking before a group and who can clearly express their ideas. The 4-H public presentation program encourages youth to choose a topic, do research, and create a brief presentation. Presentations are made locally within the club, then at the county level, then as they qualify district and state. The 4-H Public Presentation program is often credited by alumni as having given them an edge above peers in both college and professional careers. Healthy youth development strives to help young people develop inner resources and skills to grow into mature, productive, and contributing citizens. Young people need to acquire knowledge, attitudes and behaviors that will ensure current and future health. Nutrition Education for Youth CCE provides nutrition education for youth to help them acquire the skills, knowledge and motivation to improve their diets, health and general well-being. Education is the heart of our programs in collaboration with schools, after school programs, child care centers and other youth organizations. Youth are taught to make healthy choices, prepare easy recipes, choose to drink more water in place of sugary beverages, and play actively. Choose Health is an initiative intended to help all of us confront and take action to change the statistics of childhood obesity. Children s Garden Teaching children the love of gardening through experiential learning has been the goal of this summer program since Over 500 children have learned about plants, insects and the soil. The garden is an outdoor classroom where children are taught by trained Master Gardeners about organic gardening, raised vegetable beds, herb gardens, compost, wildlife and sunflowers from around the world.

5 Family Programming Core Youth Initiatives Providing parents of young children with information gives them a solid foundation for nurturing and guiding their children as they grow. Parents who have these skills tend to raise children who are open and primed for youth development programs. Professional & Volunteer Development Parent Education CCE believes that providing parents of young children with researchbased information gives them a solid foundation for nurturing and guiding their children as they grow. With accurate knowledge of child development and effective parenting skills, parents can raise children with character and resilience, two pillars of youth development. Peaceful Meals with Young Children exemplifies this by offering information on nutrition, child guidance, the parent-child feeding relationship and the benefits of sharing family meals. Learn & Play Each Learn and Play program at the Suffolk County Farm & Education Center is designed to match the age of the child with the appropriate activity, encouraging parents to interact with their children in a safe and sociable environment. Statistics show that parents who routinely spend time with their children have less parenting problems as they grow. Spending more time as a family actually has health benefits, too. If you are active as a family, the whole family is liable to exercise more and keep it up longer. Professional development opportunities offer information, skill training and support to professionals, volunteer and young people who work with families and youth. Staff Training Educators, youth leaders, human services personnel and others that work with youth and families rely on CCE for research-based information that they can apply in their work with families. These trainings are wellattended, save small not-for-profits the expense of sending staff to out of town trainings and are always evaluated highly by participants. A recent training on What adults need to know about bullying and cyber-bullying provided school and agency staff with insights into why children and teens bully and what can be done to prevent it. 4-H Club Volunteer Training CCE recruits and trains volunteers across Suffolk County, developing knowledge and skills for positive youth outcomes. Our volunteers are parents and professionals who offer our youth unique perspectives on topics including life skill development. Through productive activities, volunteers provide our youth with supportive relationships and opportunities to grow.

6 The Youth Development Programs of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County 4-H Clubs After School Nature Clubs at Suffolk County Schools Agricultural Education Animal Science BOCES Training Children s Garden at the Suffolk County Farm Day Camp at South Fork Marine Education Program Day Camp at Suffolk County Marine Environmental Learning Center Environmental Science Food & Nutrition Education Gardens at Suffolk County Schools Healthy Lifestyles for Prevention Master Gardeners Parent Education Peconic Dunes 4-H Camp at Peconic Dunes County Park Robert K Sweeney Summer Fun Days Diabetes Camp at The Suffolk County Farm School Outreaches at Suffolk County Schools Sea Explorers Day Camp at Babylon Sea Stars Day Camp at Northport Summer Fun Days at The Suffolk County Farm Teen Wilderness Trips Outreach programs, educational workshops, seminars, and conferences are conducted in schools, libraries, faith centers, community and child care centers, as well as our education centers throughout Suffolk County. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County 423 Griffing Avenue, Suite 100, Riverhead, NY suffolk@cornell.edu Cornell Cooperative Extension in Suffolk County provides equal program and employment opportunities. Cornell Cooperative Extension is funded in part by Suffolk County through the office of the County Executive and the County Legislature.